WNBA Finals: Last step in front of Storm

The Storm already has the Western Conference championship, but is in pursuit of the WNBA title. (Paul Connors/AP)

Svetlana Abrosimova summered in her native Russia last year.

She took the WNBA season off for the first time since arriving in the league in 2001. Abrosimova watched the WNBA Finals on television and made her mind up. After playing eight seasons in the WNBA and not getting out of the first round, she wanted to come back to a contender. Only twice had she played in the WNBA playoffs after winning championships while at Connecticut and in the European League.

“In the WNBA level, I played on the teams but we didn’t really do anything special,” Abrosimova said. “I didn’t want to finish my career in terms of, what did you really accomplish? There was not a good taste in my mouth after that.”

Starting Sunday, she has a chance to wash that taste out. The backup Storm guard and her teammates open the WNBA Finals on Sunday at noon (ABC; 1150-AM KKNW) against the Atlanta Dream. The best-of-five series starts in KeyArena with Game 1 on Sunday and Game 2 on Tuesday, then heads to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday.

Teams have a devil of a time stopping Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

Abrosimova and Le’coe Willingham have been keys to the Storm’s bench. The starters remaining healthy, particularly MVP Lauren Jackson, has been crucial for that group. The meshing, talent and ambition of this roster drove it to a league-best start. They are undefeated at home (21-0) and 32-6 overall. Big whoop, Abrosimova says.

“This season can be very special,” Abrosimova said. “We set a lot of records, we won some great games. We came from behind. We have to finish it right for it to stay the best memory of your WNBA career. Just have to grab it. Finish it up.”

To do so the Storm will need to handle Atlanta scoring menace Angel McCoughtry. She scored 42 points in the clinching game of the Eastern Conference Finals. If you give him a minute, Storm head coach Brian Agler can sum her up. There’s a lot of ground to cover.

“She can get you with stealing the basketball,” Agler said. “She can score in transition. She can score in the quarter court. She can shoot the three. She can post up. She can take you off the dribble. The last thing is she can rebound offensively and stick it back in.

“Can you control all that? I don’t know if you get all that controlled. What you have to do is try to get her contained from a team standpoint.”

McCoughtry is in her second season and her Dream is an unexpected dance partner for the Storm in the Finals. She tried to sound confident and tough when talking with reporters on Saturday.

“We were meant to be here,” McCoughtry said. “It’s not a fluke. We worked hard to get where we are. We’re not done yet.”

While the 24-year-old spoke, her right leg rapidly bounced up and down.

The Storm has four players with WNBA titles. Two of those, Jackson and Sue Bird, played on the 2004 championship team. Others, like Abrosimova, have won championships in other leagues. Agler isn’t banking on that to deliver a championship.

“We’re going to have to wait and see how it plays out,” Agler said. “We don’t have that answer right now because we have not been here before with this group of people. Individuals have been here, but have they been here together? That could make it different. Could make it better. Could make it difficult.”